IMMEDIATE-RELEASE – #India-KOODANKULAM: 71 Activists Arrested on Way to Protests in Chennai Planned on 29th October

Oct 29, 2012, dianuke.org

About 29 activists from different organizations lending support to the people of Koodankulam against the KKNPP have been taken under preventive detention by Tamilnad police. This comes at a time when PMANE along with solidarity movements from across the state, had decided to hold peaceful & democratic protest demonstration in front of the Tamilnadu State Legislature on the 29th of October (when the assembly session begins). In an attempt to sabotage the plan and to prevent the people from voicing their views against KKNPP, the Tamilnadu police have resorted to the undemocratic practice of preventive detention.

We have information that 25 members of Tamizhaga Vazurimai Iyyakam from Salem (including the district secretary), 2 members of Dalit Viduthalai Katchi from Avinashi, and 1 member each from MDMK and Nam Tamilar Iyyakam from Tirupur are presently under preventive detention. The Police have maintained that they are only being detained and will not be arrested but the status remains unclear at the time of sending out this report.

Another 42 members of Pengal Munnani have been detained by the police at Kulithalai Railway Station and taken to Kulithalai police station. The police have said that they will get the signatures of the people and let them leave after 11 pm.